Royale Evil
by Zombie-Elf
Summary: At the dawn of the millennium, the nation collapsed. At 15% unemployment, millions were out of work. thousands of students boycotted school. The adults lost confidence, and fearing the youth, eventually passed the Millennium Educational Reform Act. AKA: the BR Act. This year, Raccoon City High School senior class has been chosen to participate in a battle to the death. AU
1. Chapter 1

(Author's Note: Yes, I realize that I'm lazy, this being the second Battle Royale crossover story that I have written in less than a year, having not even finished the previous one (which I swear I will get back to as soon as the creativity bug bites me in the right place) but I digress. This Battle Royale crossover is with Resident Evil. This is an AU where all the characters involved are high school seniors, and as a result, I had to modify a few ages and character relationships. For example, Chris and Claire are twins in this story, and Wesker and Jake are half-brothers instead of father and son. Yay for artistic license. Like my last Battle Royale story, the winner will be completely random. Even I don't know who will be the last man or woman standing. Without any further to-do, let's begin.)

Raccoon City High School Senior Graduating Class

Boys Girls

1\. Alfred Ashford 1. Alice Abernathy

2\. Steve Burnside 2. Sheva Alomar

3\. Barry Burton 3. Alyssa Ashcroft

4\. Billy Coen 4. Alexia Ashford

5\. George Hamilton 5. Sherry Birkin

6\. Leon Kennedy 6. Rebecca Chambers

7\. David King 7. Rachel Foley

8\. Alexander Kozachenko 8. Ling Fong

9\. Jack Krauser 9. Excella Gionne

10\. Parker Luciani 10. Ashley Graham

11\. Bruce McGivern 11. Helena Harper

12\. Jake Muller 12. Manuela Hidalgo

13\. Piers Nivins 13. Ingrid Hunnigan

14\. Carlos Oliveira 14. Cindy Lennox

15\. Chris Redfield 15. Angela Miller

16\. Kevin Ryman 16. Rain Ocampo

17\. Luis Sera 17. Claire Redfield

18\. Josh Stone 18. Jessica Sherawat

19\. Ark Thompson 19. Yoko Suzuki

20\. Raymond Vester 20. Jill Valentine

21\. Albert Wesker 21. Ada Wong

Chapter 1

Raccoon City wasn't really a city at all. As a matter of fact, 'city' didn't even come close to describing the small town. While it was a popular tourist destination in the winter due to it's three local ski resorts and scenic venue being nestled in the gorgeous Arklay mountains in south central Pennsylvania, very few people actually lived there full time. It's single high school had a senior class of only forty-six students this year, forty-two of which were currently on their way to their senior class trip. Prom was over, and graduation was only a week away. Naturally, the mood of the late-spring evening was cheerful and rambunctious.

Dr. William Birkin was the biology teacher and homeroom advisor at Raccoon City High School, which is how he found himself on a rented tour bus playing chaperone to this particular adventure into adolescent silliness. While he liked all of his students to an extent, the excitement was getting to him. He sighed and rubbed his temples as he once again tried and failed to drown out the hubbub of noise emanating from forty-two excited teenagers. The group included his own daughter Sherry, who was sitting backwards in her seat and chatting with her best friend Claire Redfield, who was laughing at something the blonde said while her boyfriend, popular, athletic pretty boy; Leon Kennedy grinned in amusement.

Birkin felt a surge of fatherly anger when the boy sitting next to Sherry put a hand around her waist and gave her an affectionate peck on the cheek. Birkin revoked his earlier thought that he liked all of his students after a fashion. Whether it was the fact that Jake Muller was truant more often then not, or the fact that the little delinquent was dating his daughter (likely both), the teacher did not like the scarred boy. He wasn't even sitting in his assigned seat! He was supposed to be in seat twelve with Manuela Hidalgo, but as Birkin looked around, he realized that almost no one was sitting where they had been assigned.

The five students that thought themselves too good for anyone else were sitting in the back. Raymond Vester, Jessica Sherawat, Rachel Foley, and Albert Wesker with Excella Gionne leaning on his arm and gossiping as per usual while Wesker wore an expression of annoyed disinterest. They might have invited the Ashford twins to join them, but brilliant Alexia and neurotic Alfred considered themselves too good for anyone but themselves, and were joined at the hip, as always.

Speaking of twins, the other half of the Redfield twins, buff jock Chris was sitting with his girlfriend Jill Valentine, their friends Sheva Alomar, an exchange student from Africa, and the nurse's aid Rebecca Chambers had taken the seats across the isle and were chatting excitedly with them, the latter occasionally standing up and leaning over the seat in front of her to playfully tease Billy Coen.

The only student that seemed to be sitting in their assigned seat was Alice Abernathy, in seat number one across the isle from Birkin. She was the only person on the bus who didn't seem to be brimming with excitement. In fact, the way she stared blankly out the window with her bright, haunted eyes gave the impression that she was deep in some sort of depressing thought.

Birkin considered standing up and ordering the students back to their seats, but decided against it. This was their last week at school, why not let them bend the rules just this once? He shifted in his seat and opened his book, not even noticing the increasing number of military vehicles they were passing. About an hour later, he closed his book and gave a mighty yawn, deciding it was time to take a nap. The bus was pleasantly quiet, rolling down the empty road at a smooth pace, generating a gentle, relaxing hum.

A clatter made Birkin look up, blinking sleepily and noticing just how quiet it was. He looked back and saw that the noise had come from Yoko Suzuki dropping her Android tablet as she slumped forward, fast asleep. In fact, almost every one had fallen asleep, and those that hadn't were blinking tiredly and yawning. Sure it was natural for a couple people to be napping on such a long road trip, but everyone at once?

Noise and movement to his right made him turn his attention away from the slumbering students. Alice Abernathy alone seemed awake, downright lively as a matter of fact, and afraid. She had balled up a bandana and placed it over her nose and mouth and was working furiously to try to open the window. When it didn't work, tried to break it open, only to have the conductor (who Birkin realized was wearing a gas mask) come over and hit her hard in the back of the head with a nightstick, knocking her out cold.

Birkin tried to stand but stumbled out into the isle, his sleepy mind finally seeing that they were passing an endless line of military vehicles and soldiers, driving into a dark tunnel. "No... not this... not them..." And with those desperate, fleeting words, Dr. William Birkin sank into unconsciousness.

...

Manuela regained consciousness slowly, accompanied by waves of nausea and a pounding headache. She opened her eyes slowly, finding herself propped up against a wall in an unfamiliar room, surrounded by the bodies of her classmates. She felt a surge of panic until she saw that most of them were stirring, a brief glance around and she saw that some of the others were awake and were working to rouse the remaining sleepers.

Barry Burton woke Jill first, then Chris, who at once went to check on Claire, who was sitting in the middle of the floor blinking sleepily. Alyssa Ashcroft was shaking Kevin Ryman furiously, making him jerk from his deeply snoring slumber. Piers Nivins was dutifully going from person to person and waking them with a gentle nudge.

Before long, everyone was awake and looking around. No one spoke, each of them still trying to register what was happening. Some looked afraid, others looked angry, most just looked confused. Once exception to this was Alice, who was sitting on a desk in the back corner of the room, staring at the front with a frightening expression. The other was Wesker, who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, looking utterly bemused. There was no sign of Dr. Birkin.

Manuela and several others jumped as the door at the front of the room opened and a dozen or so heavily armed soldiers filed in, followed by a middled aged man in a suit, his dark hair slicked back, a finely trimmed mustache adorning his face, and an expression that seemed to ooze Sinicism. Manuela shivered as she looked at the man, feeling as if she were looking into the face of Death himself, though she didn't know why she should feel that way.

Seeing that all eyes were on him, the man gave a snake oil smile and addressed the class. "Good evening, Raccoon City High School senior class. My name is Derek Simmons. Now, if you'll all take a seat, the lesson will begin."

"What lesson?" Asked Ada Wong, her sultry voice calm and even, but laced with irritation.

"Take a seat and you'll learn soon enough." Simmons replied with an annoyed sigh. Everyone in the class glanced at one another for a moment, but nobody moved until the soldier to Simmons' left stepped forward "SIT DOWN!" he shouted, and almost at once, everyone did so, whether out of fear or out of curiosity.

"Now then," Simmons continued, eyeing everyone up. "Because of lazy freeloaders such as yourselves, and an utter lack of proactivity, this country isn't worth a damn thing any more. The world order has collapsed, along with the economy, and while you and those like you continue to boycott school and disrespect authority, there is no hope of it improving the situation. So, the big wigs got together and passed this law. Battle Royale. So today's lesson is' kill each other off. It's over when there's only one left. Nothing is against the rules."

Shocked silence greeted this, broken only when Cindy Lennox stood up slowly, her hand raised. "Um... Mr. Simmons, I don't get what you're saying. What do you mean by kill each other? We can't possibly..."

Simmons smiled at the blonde, which cowed her at once and she sank back to the floor. "Actually, your teacher Dr. Birkin was deeply opposed to the selection of your class, and even tried to break you all out of here. And well... bring him in." The last bit was spoken to the soldiers. Two of them left the room and came back seconds later, wheeling in a stretcher. There was a body on it, covered in a blanket that was soaked in blood. Simmons stepped forward and pulled back the blanket. Someone screamed.

What was left of Dr. William Birkin was laid out before them. Half of his head was gone, his remaining eyeball bloodshot and staring at the ceiling blankly. Bits of grey brain matter clung to his hair and pieces of skull were on the stretcher beside his head. His left, arm, still wearing a watch, dangled off the side of the stretcher.

For a moment, everyone was united in silent terror, staring at the remains of their always disheveled, slightly irritable biology teacher, when one voice rose up in the agony of a thousand deaths. "DADDY!"

Sherry shrieked at the top of her lungs and ran forward toward the stretcher, her arms extended, blind to the weapons pointed in her direction. Jake jumped up and caught her before she could get too far, pulled her to her knees and turned her away from the mangled body of her father, Claire rushing over to hug Sherry as well and whisper to her soothingly. "You sick son of a bitch..." Jake growled at Simmons, holding the shaking girl tight against himself.

Simmons looked at the pair. "Sherry Birkin I presume. You have my sympathies young lady. But your father was a worthless man, and you will need to work hard if you don't want to end up like him. Now, if there are no further interruptions, I'll get on with the lesson. You are the class chosen for this year's Battle Royale. We are on an island about ten kilometers across. We've evacuated all the locals so it's completely deserted. The island is divided into many zones. Every six hours, I will broadcast which zones are about to become danger zones. If you're in one of those zones, you should leave it at once. Why? Because of the collars you're wearing."

Manuela's eyes widened and she reflexively reached up and touched her throat. Sure enough, she felt cool metal under her fingertips. Looking around, she saw that the others had done the same and were wearing expressions of alarm and looking at Simmons.

"The collars are 100% waterproof and shockproof. it monitors your pulse, letting us know your location and movements. So, if you linger in a danger zone, or cause trouble, we can identify you. At that time we transmit radio waves that trigger an alarm and then..." He grinned. "It explodes. It will also explode if you try to remove it, or re-enter this building so don't even think about it. Ah, I almost forgot. There is a three day time limit for this game. If more than one person is alive at the end of seventy two hours, all the collars explode, and you all die. Any questions so far?"

Ashley Graham raised her hand, asking the question that was on everyone's mind. "If I survive, can I go home?" Everyone looked from her to Simmons's their eyes begging to know the answer.

"Sure. But only if everyone else is dead."

Carlos Oliveira stood up, his hand raised. "How were we chosen?"

"Impartial lottery."

Carlos looked thoughtful, but then raised his hand a second time. "Why are you doing this?"

Simmons scoffed. "It's your own damned fault. You mock the adults. Mock us all you want, but don't forget, life is a game. So fight to survive, and find out if you're worth it. Now then, you'll leave the room one at a time, but first you get a kit. Inside is food, water, a map, a compass, and a weapon. You can also take any personal items you might have with you. Each weapon is different, and it's not just guns and knives, some of them are utterly useless. It's selected at random so as to eliminate natural advantage."

Right on cue, more soldiers entered the room, wheeling in two huge racks piled high with large- army-green duffel bags, each labeled with either a B or a G and a number.

"Your parents have already been notified, so attempting to contact them for help will do you no good. You'll be leaving by class number at one minute intervals. When I call your name, come up to the front to take your bag. Ladies first. Girl Number One, Alice Abernathy."

Alice stood, walking over with a smooth determination that chilled Manuela to the bone. She was one to be afraid of. She caught her bag easily and then took off out of the room at a jog.

"Boy Number One, Alfred Ashford."

Alfred took his sister's hand, kissed it, and tried to smile at her, but just ended up grimacing. He ran to the front of the class, tripping as he caught his bag, then got up at a run.

A minute between each name. It was like a dark parody of a graduation ceremony. Manuela realized with horror that it was the closest thing to a graduation ceremony they were going to get.

"Girl Number Five, Sherry Birkin"

Sherry got up slowly, her eyes wide and streaked with tears. She walked almost roboticly toward the front of the class, caught her bag, and left the room.

"Boy Number Six, Leon Kennedy."

Leon hugged Claire tightly. "I'll find you." He said. He then looked to his many friends and gave them a reassuring nod. He even gave a nod to Manuela, which made her feel a bit better despite everything.

Before long, the words she dreaded were uttered. "Girl Number 12, Manuela Hidalgo." She stood, trying to still her shaking limbs as she ran toward the front. A soldier tossed a bag to her but she missed catching it and it fell to the ground. She bent down to pick it up and looked at the remainder of her classmates, wondering who among them she would never see again. Wondering who would be the one to kill her as she took off into the night.


	2. Chapter 2

A three quarter moon stood out beautifully against a clear sky, painting the landscape in a silvery light. Excella checked her watch (a white gold Rolex), and saw that it was just after midnight. She had found Rachel wandering around the outside of the building, apparently waiting for her, and Jessica had come out not too long after. So the three of them were now waiting for the other two of their usual clique.

Excella sighed, between Rachel, Jessica, and herself, their 'weapons' had been a first-aid kit, a length of rope, and a military-grade bullet-proof vest, respectively. All useful in their own right, but with the exception of the vest, worthless in actual combat.

"There's Raymond!" Rachel whispered, interrupting Excella's thought. Sure enough, there he was, his absurdly red hair obvious in the moonlight. "Ray! Over here!" Rachel called, waving her arm over toward their hiding spot. He smiled in relief and hurried over to them. "Nice to see you waited for me." He said.

"Don't flatter yourself, Carrot Top." Said Jessica, rolling her eyes after having no luck on her cel phone and started to try Rachel's. "Nothing here either. Looks like they have something blocking the reception." She turned off the phone and handed it back to the blonde.

Excella seethed. This was absolutely outrageous! How dare they bring her to a place like this? She was Excella Gionne for Christ sake! Daughter of Steffano Gionne, the man responsible for bringing tourism to Raccoon City, as they owned two out of three of the local ski resorts and were the second wealthiest family in the county. It was bad enough that she had to suffer through the drudgery of public school seeing as there wasn't a private academe within fifty miles of the small mountain town. But to be chosen for the Program?! She would not have thought such a thing would be possible! "Well, Simmons said that our families have been informed. When my father hears about this, he'll send someone to come and save us."

"If you say so..." Rachel said with a grim tone, always pessimistic. "Raymond, what weapon did you get?"

"Let's find out." Said the redhead. He put down his duffel bag and began to rummage through it. He looked perplexed, as if he couldn't find what he was looking for, and then pulled out a metal whisk like the sort used to beat eggs.

For a long minute, the four of them just stared at it in disbelief, and then Jessica burst out laughing. "Well, that's great! Lemme know if you find some eggs and a bowl to go with that!" She said as she held her sides.

Excella on the other hand was outraged. "I don't think we're going to find this funny if we're attacked by someone else! God knows what those... hooligans in our class might be willing to do!"

"Guys, shut up!" Rachel hissed as someone else emerged from the building. Ada Wong looked around with a calm expression before taking off into the night. Just as well, they all had a feeling that she couldn't be trusted. "Ok. She's the last girl. The only person left in there should be Wesker."

Excella smiled at that prospect. Yes. Even if they couldn't get any good weapons between them, her darling Albert was so strong and so talented. He'd be able to protect them until rescue arrived. She was sure of it. "Ah! There he is!"

Albert Wesker emerged from the building and Excella broke cover despite the quiet protests of her friends. "Albert!" While they remained hidden, she ran forward forward and threw her arms around him. "It's terrible! The very nerve of them sending us here! But I waited here for you in spite of it, and I know we'll be alright until my father sends help."

Wesker bore this patiently, looking down at her with an expression that could be described as a smile, but anyone less infatuated than Excella would be able to clearly see the disdain in his eyes. "How sweet of you to wait for me." He said, patting the side of her face. "You've always been so loyal. So very, very... devoted."

"Oh Albert. You always knew what to say." Excella purred. Yes. Everything would be alright now. Even in light of the situation, the night was warm and beautiful, almost romantic. She pressed herself close to him, seeming to forget that her friends were watching from the brush nearby and hummed against his neck. "Do you remember prom night?"

He smiled at her. "Of course I do. You were wearing that gauze dress, so sheer that you almost got kicked out. That night, when I looked at you I couldn't help but think..."

Excella's cheeks burned with color. She looked up at him, lips slightly parted.

"I couldn't help but think what a trashy whore you are." He finished sweetly, caressing the side of her face and neck.

For a moment it didn't sink in, and she stared at him dumbly. What did he just say? Had her precious Albert just called her a trashy WHORE? No. She must have heard him wrong.

"Albert, what..." But her words were cut off when his caressing hands suddenly wrapped around her neck and began to squeeze with violent abandon. She tried to pull away but he was too strong, so she tried to slap at him, each blow weaker then the last as weakness overtook her body. This wasn't supposed to be happening! She was his and he was hers! This was a dream, she decided as spots danced before her eyes.

She began to sag and he took her to the ground, straddling her and putting all of his weight behind those viselike hands. "And you always have been a trashy whore, my dear Excella. Always using money or daddy's influence or that over used slash between your legs to get what you want. You make me sick, and you always have. Sluts like you give women everywhere a bad name. Oh, but I guess you can't hear me anymore."

When he let go, Excella's face was dark blue, eyes bulging from the sockets and tongue lolling out of her open mouth. She was no longer even remotely beautiful, but the look suited her. Sprawled on the ground, her legs crudely splayed. She died as she lived. On her back.

The three in hiding watched in horror the entire time. Jessica had attempted to jump up and rush to Excella's aid but was held down by Raymond, Rachel's hand clamped firmly over her mouth. They continued to watch as Wesker rifled through Excella's bag and pulled out the bullet-proof vest. He looked thoughtful for a moment, then removed his jacket, put on the vest, and put the jacket back on. He stood up then and looked around.

The trio jumped when he looked in their direction, but after a minute, Wesker looked through his own bag and pulled out... a feather duster. He sighed, tossed it aside, and stalked off into the night. Jessica, Rachel, and Raymond took that as their cue to run as fast as they could in the opposite direction.

...

Jill came to rest underneath the shade of a maple tree. She had taken off at a dead sprint a s soon as she left the building, her long legs pumping her at impressive speed. She caught her breath and removed her white cardigan, tying it around her waist so she was dressed in a light blue tank top. She decided she would take ease of motion over modesty in this case. One might save her life, the other didn't matter.

She jumped when she heard rustling nearby, hefting her weapon; a long-bladed machete. "Easy Jill! It's just me." Stocky and sweet Parker Luciani, came out of the trees with a huge smile on his face. Jill relaxed at once and smiled. She was good friends with Parker and she gave him a hug.

"Glad to see you're still here." She said. Two more people came out of the woods behind Parker. Angela Miller came right behind, and Alexander 'Buddy' Kozachenko, brought up the rear and stayed back a bit. Jill didn't know them well, but she knew they were both good friends of Leon, and that they were both capable people.

"Likewise." Parker replied. "Looks like you got a good weapon. A lot better than what I got." he handed her a small bottle of pepper spray. "But Buddy got the best of em. Browning."

"Ey, Parker. Don't just go spouting off about our weapons to just anyone." Buddy said in annoyance.

"Relax. We can trust Jill." The Italian replied. "Listen, Angela was just coming up with a plan."

Angela nodded. "I honestly don't think anyone in our class would be willing to kill one another. We need to find as many people as we can and bring work out some kind of strategy."

"Well. That' sounds like a fine idea." There came a voice from behind Buddy. They looked over just in time to see Albert Wesker grab Buddy's head and twist, breaking his neck instantly.

Before the Slav's body even hit the ground, Wesker grabbed up his pistol and fired, hitting Angela in the forehead and dropping her like a sack.

He turned the gun on Jill and fired, but Parker jumped in the way, using a rush of adrenaline to charge at Wesker even as he was shot. He tackled the smaller man. "JILL RUN!" He yelled. "RUN NOW!"

Jill didn't know what else to do. She wanted to help. She wanted to save him. But his words acted like a kickstarter and she sprinted off as Wesker pushed the mortally wounded man off of himself. He fired two shots at the girl but she was already gone.

She ran and ran as fast as she could, her machete in one hand, Parker's pepper spray in the other. Tears stung her eyes but she didn't stop running until her legs gave out under her.

38 Students Remaining

...

(Please review!)


	3. Chapter 3

(This chapter is dedicated to Becky and Marquita, who always wait patiently for updates)

They had run for what felt like hours, the image of the life leaving Excella's eyes still fresh in Jessica's mind. She caught her breath, looking back as the other two did the same. "What... the hell?" She panted out, glaring at the other two. "Why did... you hold me back?! I could have stopped Albert! I could have saved Excella!"

Raymond recovered first, but still kept his hands on his knees, his breathing a bit ragged. He was never overly athletic. "No. You couldn't have. Wesker would have just killed you too... He's a lot stronger than you are."

"There are three of us and he had a fucking feather duster!" The brunette protested. "If you two hadn't held me back... If you'd grown a pair and stood up, we could have fought him off! Cella would still be here!" She sat down heavily on the ground, refusing to look at the others. They could have saved her! Why didn't they even bother trying?! Excella was their friend! Well, as close to a friend as a girl like Excella could ever be, and Jessica was almost certain that Cella would have stopped being her friend if she knew about the crush she had on Parker. But even so, the could have done something. They SHOULD have done something.

"Jess," Rachel began slowly. "Maybe you're right. Maybe we could have saved her. But it's too late now. She's gone. Which means that this is REAL. She's dead, and we heard gunfire earlier too. This is real, and at the very least, Albert and God knows how many others are willing to kill one another. I never thought it was possible, but that's the boat we're in now."

For a long time, there was silence between the three friends as Rachel's words sunk in. "Yes. This IS real." Said Raymond. The strange, distant tone of his voice made Jessica look up. He looked frightened, determined, and downright scary.

"Ray? What's the matter with you?" Jessica asked, at once on her guard. She had never seen Raymond look like that before. She'd seen him in every sort of mood imaginable, and though his default setting was snobby and sarcastic, he had never looked this desperate before. This harrowing.

"Rachel is right." He replied in a voice that had become void of emotion, but was tinged with something like madness. "This is real. That means... that means only one of us gets to go home. I want to go home...I want... I WANT TO GO HOME!"

Before Jessica knew what was what, Raymond had jumped on top of Rachel and was trying to strangle her, just like Wesker had strangled Excella not moments before. Unlike Wesker, Raymond was skinny with very little muscle, and Rachel was naturally healthy and put up a good fight. But the redhead punched her in the gut, driving the air from her lungs and locked his hands around her throat.

All of this happened in a matter of a few seconds, when Jessica leapt up with a cry of "Don't!" And jumped on Raymond's back. She was trying to get a hold of his hair, his shirt, anything that she could grip to give her a little leverage. She grabbed and pulled with all her might, not realizing that she was gripping his collar.

They all stopped moving when they heard a high pitched beeping sound as Ray's collar began to blink with red light. Panic set into his eyes half a second before they heard a 'pop' and then suddenly blood was gushing from the redhead's throat, spraying all over Rachel's face and chest. The blonde began to scream, and Jessica realized that she was screaming too even as she pulled Raymond off her horrified friend. He was still alive, scratching at his throat and trying to desperately to stem the red fountain his neck had become. Then, all at once, he was still.

...

"Ugh. Well, that's lucky." David said as Alyssa pulled a zippo lighter out of her duffel bag. They assumed the lighter was supposed to be her weapon. "It's a shame none of us smoke." She said in irritation as she shoved the small object inter her back pocket. David was usually quiet and taciturn, and a bit of a lone wolf. They whole reason he was now teamed up with Alyssa and George was because the pushy girl was friends with Yoko, one of the few people in class David actually liked.

George was the other person David liked. Never really one to call the shots or take charge, but he possessed a cooperative spirit and had a sort of quiet stillness that David could respect. But right now, George was being more than quiet. He was distant, his eyes far away as they stared up at the clear night sky. "Hey, you still with us?"

The other boy looked at him sadly. "I guess you could say I'm having a sort of epiffany." He replied. "I know you two want to team up with others and find a way out of this, but I really don't see the point. You know what the Program is. Never in the history of it has more than one person come out alive. Why should this time be any different?"

They stared at him for a second before Alyssa put her foot down. "What the hell are you talking about? We're all gonna get out of here, ya understand that? I'm gonna become the world's most famous journalist, you're gonna be the best surgeon that ever lived, and David is gonna... do whatever it is David is going to do."

David almost smiled at that comment, but he was too concerned by the look in George's eyes. "George, just because nobody has escaped yet doesn't mean that there wont' be a first time."

George grinned humorlessly. "You hear that sound? That's the sound of God laughing while you make plans. Don't you think other classes from past Programs have had the same conversation that we're having now? Only one of us is walking away from this, if any. I do know for certain that I will not participate in this game. If you two want to live, then you'll have to kill eventually. Might as well start now."

"Have you lost your damn mind!?" Alyssa demanded. "We're not going to kill you! How can you even suggest that?!"

"It's better you than someone else! At least I know that the two of you will make it quick!" He shouted. He took a deep breath, becoming visibly calmer. "I'm begging you, kill me here, kill me now. I don't want to be a murderer, and I'm Catholic, suicide will send me straight to hell. Please. Do this for me. David, use your axe."

The fire axe David had been issued was held loosely in his hand. He didn't want to kill anyone unless he had to, but how could he deny George's last wish? "Are you sure this is what you want?"

George nodded. "Yes. I'm sure. Hit right here, the spot between the base of the skull and the top vertebrae. Instant death, no pain. You've always been very precise in everything." He looked over at Alyssa and handed her the baseball bat he had been issued as his own weapon. "Here. You're going to need something better than a lighter. Don't look so upset, I'm escaping my way."

He knelt then, looking to each of them with a small smile. "Good luck to you both. Do it now, David, before my courage leaves me." he bowed his head then, exposing the back of his neck.

David nodded and circled around behind him while Alyssa turned and looked away. He swallowed hard, forcing his hands not to shake as he took aim. He raised the axe and brought it down upon his friend's neck, severing his spinal cord in a quick, painless end. George was dead before he hit the ground.

The remaining boy dropped the axe and fell back on his rear as the tremors took over his body. He had just killed his friend, one of his only two friends. Why in God's name did he just do that? Why hadn't he tried to talk him out of it like Alyssa had? Surely that would have been the right thing to do instead of just... going along with it! No. No regrets. Regrets will get you killed. "Alyssa, come on. We have to get moving."

...

"Ugh! What a vulgar weapon!" Said Alfred as he drew a short-handled sickle out of his bag. "Do they really expect me to fight with this? How abhorrent!" He sat down and pouted, but his twin Alexia simply laughed musically.

"Come now Alfred, it really isn't so bad. You say it's vulgar, but I think it's elegant, unique, and very interesting. My own weapon is dull by comparison." Her 'dull' weapon was an H&amp;K VP70 .9mm handgun. Perhaps not as exciting as a sickle, but a hell of a lot more useful. Still, her words had the effect she wanted and Alfred smiled at her.  
"Yes. I suppose it is. This reminds me of those games we used to play as children. Do you remember? Where we'd play hide-and-seek with the neighbors pets?" He asked her in a whimsical tone. There had always been something deeply wrong with the Ashford twins, whether isolating themselves was the cause or the effect was anyone's guess. They were extremely wealthy, richer even than the Gionne family, and used to get away with everything.

Alexia smiled back at him. "Of course I remember. And this game of hide-and-seek is no different. Well, except that it will be a bit more of a challenge. But I think it will be fun. Oh look, here comes a pair of kittens now."

...

It had taken a little effort getting through the chaos to find one another, but Bruce and Ling were now teamed up. They were reasonably well armed, as Ling had a bolt-action rifle and scope slung over her shoulder. She even knew how to use it after a few hunting trips with Bruce and his family.

Bruce smiled at her fondly, the way her mouth was set in a thin line and her almond-shaped eyes were narrowed in focus. "You're so damn cute when you're serious." He said with a grin. Bruce on the other hand was virtually incapable of being serious, always cracking jokes, even in a situation like this.

She stared at him aghast and then punched his arm. "This is a big deal Bruce! Can't you forgo the jokes for once in your life?" Truth be told, she was happy that he was always so light-hearted and goofy, it made her feel better about their current situation. Though she would never admit it.

"Ow! Ling, you're so mean..." Bruce pouted as he rubbed the spot where she had punched him. She hit hard for such a tiny thing. "Okay, okay, you win." He set down his bag and pulled out his own weapon. It was some kind of GPS, but as it didn't come with an instruction manual, neither of them was sure what it was really for. There was a map, and two small red dots blinking on it. Bruce looked at it and scratched his stubbly chin, before he grinned in realization. "Hey! I figured out what this is! It's a tracking device! These little red dots are us! There must be tracking chips in our collars."

Ling rushed over, actually excited by the news. With this they could pinpoint where everyone was and avoid them. Or, if necessary, hunt them. But Ling didn't want to think about that. This item could very well be more useful than anything else distributed. Her eyes suddenly narrowed when she saw two other dots approaching theirs. "Bruce, look at..."

But her words were cut off by a loud BANG and a warm wetness hitting her face. It took her a second to realize the sticky red liquid was blood, then horror overtook her as she saw Bruce falling, his blue eyes wide as if with surprise, and a gaping red hole in the side of his head.

No. Not him. Not Bruce. When they had met sophomore year, she'd had no friends, nobody that would even give her the time of day. Admittedly, she had once been something of a frigid bitch, but that had been more a combination of shyness and culture shock. Still, it had taken it's tole and alienated her from almost everyone.

But not from Bruce. Every day he would come over and talk to her, not letting up even when she gave him the cold shoulder again and again. He always had something nice to say. Your hair looks cute like that. That top really brings out your eyes. You're the prettiest girl in town. Eventually Ling was forced to admit that she liked the attention that the wiry joker was giving her.

But not anymore.

He would never give her another compliment, make another joke, give her a sweet kiss. He was dead. Murdered. And his killers were nearby.

It took only a split second for all these thoughts to pass through Ling's mind. She let out a cry like an avenging angel and turned the rifle in the direction the shot had come from and began to return fire, catching a glimpse of blonde hair and a purple blouse.

The killers didn't exchange fire with her, instead choosing to flee into the woods. If those monsters thought that they could seek shelter and find a safe haven under those trees, they were dead wrong. Ling hefted the rifle over her shoulder and knelt down long enough to close Bruce's eyes and whisper that she loved him, wishing that she had said it more often instead of being so damn cold and coy all the time. She picked up the tracker, stood, and began to chase after the fleeing red dots, tears and determination battling for dominance in her eyes.

35 Students Remaining

...

(Whaaaat? None of the big players this chapter? Whatcha doing to us Sam?! Relax guys. Next chapter there will be more big wigs, a lot more action, and more feels)


	4. Chapter 4

Luis and Ashley had been running for what felt like days. Every time they would stop to rest, they would hear the crack of gunfire or shouts both commanding and afraid, and once, they had heard a scream of terror that had turned their blood to ice and set them both sprinting off into the night yet again. But they could run no longer or they would risk wearing their bodies out completely. "Here, let's rest here _bonita_. Catch our breath for a while."

Ashley clearly didn't need to be told twice. She fell to her hands and knees, her considerable bosom heaving with every breath she took. "This is... crazy..." She said once she had enough air to talk.

Luis couldn't agree more. Everyone knew what the program was. Once a year a class was chosen, and every high school class in the country lived in fear of it, some of their classmates had even lost relatives. Angela had lost her older brother before transferring to Raccoon, Kevin had lost a friend from another school, and so on. But they were this close to graduation, so they had begun to think they had nothing left to fear. Oh how very wrong they were. "Crazy doesn't even begin to describe it. But they say there is always a way out of any situation, no matter how sticky. We just need to think this through." He sat down, leaning heavily against the trunk of a tree. "You should drink some water. I've never seen you run so much." He teased.

Ashley was the daughter of Raccoon City's mayor. Like Excella, she was wealthy and privileged. Unlike Excella, she knew better than to think that her father would be able to bail her out of this mess. She was spoiled and a little bit bratty, but she wasn't mean, and was something of a social butterfly. She had a massive crush on Leon, basically hero-worshiped Ada, and was friends with a good-for-nothing flirt like Luis.

Luis for his part was very clever, excelling in classes like science and math, but he never applied himself which lead to his grades being very average overall. Instead he preferred to spend his time flirting with the girls in his school and skipping class to smoke in the parking lot.

Oblivious to the fact that the boy was teasing her, Ashley uncapped one of the water bottles and drank deeply. "Maybe we could find Leon and Ada. I'm sure they'll be able to figure something out." Of course she would suggest finding them. But Luis didn't mind. He liked the two of them a lot, and flirted with Leon almost as much as he flirted with Ada and Ashley.

"Sounds like a plan." Luis said with a small smile. "By the way _mama_ _sita_, what weapon did you get?" He began to rummage around in his bag to see what his own was.

After a few seconds, Ashley pulled a compound crossbow out of her bag. She stared at it for a minute then let out a noise between a whine and a groan. "What the heck? Do I like like Daryl Dixon or something? I'm not even strong enough to pull back the string!" She set it down grumpily and crossed her arms under her breasts, her cheeks puffing up a bit in irritation. The effect was really quite cute. "What about you? Please tell me you got something better."

"Eh. Not exactly." Luis tossed her a small object which turned out to be a walkie-talkie. "Not much of a weapon but since our phones aren't working, it might be good to have incase we get separated. Like right now." He stood up and stretched, almost laughing at the horrified look Ashley gave him. "Relax little lady. I'm just going to answer a call of nature. Why don't you try and get some sleep? I know how tired you must be. I'll take the first watch."

She pouted but nodded. "Alright. But don't take long. I don't like being out here alone."

"That makes two of us. Don't worry. I'll be back before you can say '_yo tengo muchos grandes gatos in mis pantalones_'.

Ashley blinked at him as he walked away. "You have many large cats in your pants?"

"Ha ha! You've been paying attention!" He called back. He stopped when he reached what he judged to be a suitable cluster of bushes and unzipped his fly, taking the time by himself to do some thinking. Teaming up with Leon at the very least was probably a good idea. He was reliable, honest, and caring. And as attractive as Luis found Ada, he could never tell what she was thinking, and that made him more nervous than he cared to admit. Pushing the thoughts aside, he zipped up and headed back to the undergrowth where he left Ashley.

When he returned, the girl was facing away from him, curled up on her side, already fast asleep. Luis couldn't help but smile. Poor thing must have worn herself out. He considered letting her sleep, seeing as he was the one that suggested it in the first place, but it would probably be wise to move to an area that would be more defensible.

"Hey, _princesa_, wake up." He bent down and shook her shoulder gently, but she didn't move, not even the slightest stir. He shook her a bit more firmly this time. "Come on _mi amor_, we need to get..." The force of the shake rolled her onto her back, and Luis stared in horror, so shocked that at first his brain refused to see it. It only took in her wide, hazel eyes staring lifelessly up at the sky. By the time he noticed the red slash across her neck, throat cut from ear to ear, it was already too late to notice that her crossbow was missing.

Luis was hit by a blow that felt like he'd taken a sucker-punch to the chest, forcing the air from his lungs with one shocked gasp. He looked down, confused as to where the blow came from, as besides Ashley's lifeless body, there was nobody close enough to hit him. He realized then with surprising calmness that it wasn't a punch at all that had hit him, and there was now an arrow sticking out of his chest, just below his right nipple, puncturing his lung.

He looked into the direction the shaft had been fired from and there she was. Beautiful, sultry, the smooth roll of her hips as she advanced toward him hypnotic even now. Ada didn't look happy as she fitted another arrow into the bow and looked at him. "You shot me." Luis said obviously. "You killed Ashley too. With what?"

"A box cutter." Ada replied. Her voice sounded neither happy nor satisfied, but resigned with a tinge of determination.

"Why?" He coughed, tasting blood. "The girl worshiped you. You're everything she ever wanted to be."

Her dark eyes looked sad for a minute, then returned to their usual unreadable gaze. "And I liked her. For that matter, I like you. I'm not playing this game for the fun of it, it's simply not in my nature to give up and die. But if I'm going to survive, I can't hesitate. No matter who crosses my path."

"Even Leon?"

She nodded. "Even Leon."

Luis laughed in spite of himself, though it soon turned into a painful cough as he spit gobs of blood on the grass. "Careful you don't say that in front of Claire. She'll tear you to pieces."

"When I find her, she's certainly welcome to try." She leveled the crossbow, her face a mask of determination. "Goodbye Luis."

"_Adios_ Ada."

...

At long last, Jill's legs decided that they wouldn't run another step and gave out beneath her. She fell in an inglorious heap, narrowly avoiding landing on her machete as she flopped down in the grass. She breathed hard, her lungs burning with strain, legs twitching and spasaming from so much exertion. She was a soccer player and in excellent shape, but even Jill Valentine had her limits.

She rolled onto her back, sprawling like a starfish as her chest heaved, struggling to figure out how to breathe normally again. She had lost her duffel bag at some point during her frantic run, meaning her food, water, map, and other useful items were long gone. She managed to hold onto her weapon though, and the pepper spray Parker had given her.

Parker. Jill had never been an overly emotional girl, but thinking about him made tears well up in her eyes. The sweet, mellow class clown was dead. He had been murdered by one of his own classmates right before her eyes, and to make it all the more painful, he had died protecting her. If he hadn't jumped on Wesker despite being wounded, Jill's corpse would be laying in the grove next him him, Buddy, and Angela.

Wesker. That son of a bitch. He had always been strange and a little intimidating, but to go so far as to murder his own classmates without a thought... It made Jill sick to think about it, and she found herself relishing the idea of burying the machete in his skull. It would be difficult to do, seeing as Wesker had a gun and therefor superior range, but Jill was reasonably confident in her ability to be stealthy. Her father had been a professional thief after all, and had taught her a few tricks of the trade.

Once she felt strong enough, she sat up, but was still breathing hard, when suddenly she felt something pressed up against the back of her head. Fuck. So much for stealth.

"Don't move. Drop the machete." Said a commanding female voice.

Jill did so, cursing herself over and over as her assailant took the blade. "That you, Rain?" She asked, holding the pepper spray tightly in her other hand, realizing that the other girl must not have noticed it.

Rain walked around in front of Jill and was pointing an old-fashioned pistol at her, like the kind German officers always had in those World War 2 movies. Luger. That's what it was called. "In the flesh. I didn't think you'd be careless enough to leave yourself exposed Valentine." Her voice was sarcastic as always, and a bit scary. The dark-haired girl had always been just this side of militant, always referring to everyone by the last name, and it didn't surprise Jill as much as it should to see that she was playing the game for real.

"That makes two of us." Jill replied. She was surprised to find that she felt no fear despite the fact that she was staring down the barrel of a gun and was more than likely about to die in a minute or so. "Fancy gun you've got there. Murder anyone with it yet?"

Rain smirked a bit. "Not yet. Exchanged a few shots with Muller before Nivans dragged him off, so it looks like you get to be the first. This ain't personal Jill, just so you know."

"Heh. You finally called me by my first name. First name, first kill. Will you do me a favor and let me die with a little bit of dignity? Let me stand and face death rather than staring up at it from the dirt." It was a simple enough request.

Rain hesitated, then nodded. "Fine. Get up."

Now was her chance, instead of getting up slowly, Jill leapt to her feet, bringing up the mace and spraying it directly into the other girl's eyes, She ducked as Rain screamed in pain and began to fire at random. "You BITCH!" She had dropped the machete to scrub violently at her burning face, but she kept pulling the trigger of the Luger with her other hand, the shots going wide and high.

Jill dove for the blade, snatching it up by the handle and rising to her knees. She didn't want to kill Rain, but she knew the other girl would kill her first chance she got unless she was disarmed quickly. To her horror, she looked up to see that the dark haired girl had mostly recovered, despite the thick, gooey tears that were streaming from her red and swollen eyes. Jill had to hand it to her, she was tough as nails.

The Luger was in her face and Jill knew she was dead, but she'd be damned if she was going to close her eyes and hide from it. She waited for the shot that would end her life, and there was a deafening BOOM, too loud for the Luger.

A large hole appeared in the center of Rain's forehead, then bone, brain, blood, and bullet exploded out the back of her skull in an almost artistic shower of color and sound. She fell then, sprawled out on the grass, what was left of her head resting in a pool of gore.

Jill turned around, wondering who in God's name had rescued her. There stood Alice, the mysterious girl that had transfered into the class at the beginning of the year. The lone wolf that said little and revealed less. She was holding a massive handgun, a .357 Colt Python magnum, and was pointing it in Jill's general direction, though not directly at her, walking with the assured confidence of someone who knew exactly what she was doing. "Are you alright?"

Jill blinked. Well, those certainly weren't the words she was expecting to hear. Part of her had expected Alice to blow her brains out as well, and the other part expected her to just walk away. "Yeah. Thanks to you. But why did you kill her? Why...why did you save me?"

Alice shrugged, holstering the magnum and giving Jill and hand up. "You remind me of someone. Let's just leave it at that." Woman of few words as always. She bent down by Rain's body and picked up the Luger, handing it to Jill grip-first. "Besides. You, Claire, and Carlos were the only ones at this school who kept trying to be friends with me, no matter how much I tried to ignore you. I guess you grew on me a little."

Again, Jill found herself surprised, both by the confession and by the fact that this girl had just given her a firearm. Absurdly, she found herself smiling. She wasn't happy that Rain was dead, but at the same time, it could have been her. "What are you going to do now?"

"Try and find a way out of here, if there is one. You're more than welcome to come with me for a while if you want, though I can't make any promises that this truce will hold up if we can't find a way to escape." The way she replied was logical and free of emotion.

Jill thought about it then nodded. "Alright. I'll stay with you at least until I get a chance to pay you back. I owe you a bit of a debt now after all."

Alice nodded and walked off wordlessly. Jill casted once last glance at Rain's body, "I'm sorry it had to end this way." and followed after her just as the first rays of sunlight came up over the horizon.

32 Students Remaining


End file.
